A common question among the elderly and their families is how to prepare for moving into memory care. How do you pack your life into boxes so it’s ready to move when the time comes? Moving to memory care is very different from moving out of your own home or apartment and requires an entirely different set of guidelines and considerations when it comes to packing up and moving days. This article will walk you through how to approach the process, what you should take with you, what stays behind, and what you should ask the staff at your senior living community about when you arrive on site.
Create a Familiar Environment in the New Space
When you’re moving to memory care, make your new home feel like home. Think about what you liked most about your old place and incorporate it into your new space. Include any pictures or decorations that made you feel happy and comfortable. If you don’t have your pictures, look for pictures of lovely scenery on Google Images; then print them out or hang them up on scrapbook paper or poster board. You can also put up recent photos of family members. Putting up familiar items will help reduce anxiety during the transition period. Try to keep some familiar belongings close by until all of your stuff is unpacked at your new home.
Keep the Room Simple
The prospect of moving to memory care can be daunting, but you can make the process easier on yourself with careful planning and preparation. For example, one thing you’ll want to do before you move is pack everything in your current home in boxes labeled with your name and what room they came from so they’re easy to unpack when you get to your new apartment. This packing checklist can help guide you through that process so that when it comes time to move, the only thing you need to worry about is how many boxes you need to fit all of your stuff in!
Embrace Favorite Personal Items
You want to make sure that your loved ones feel as comfortable as possible when they move. To do that, you need to make sure they’re able to bring some of their favorite personal items from home. Some people have difficulty letting go of certain things – even if those items aren’t beneficial or don’t mean anything – because these little keepsakes bring back good memories.
You Will Have to Leave Behind Some Items
You may not be able to bring all of your furniture or appliances to your new home. Some are too large, some are impractical in a memory care community, and some will simply not fit in your room. This is fine – there are ways to make almost any room feel like home.
Use Every Space Available
Many elderly move to assisted living because they can no longer take care of themselves at home, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on decorating. Most apartments in memory care communities have an empty wall or blank space that can be filled with pictures, shelves for knick-knacks, personal mementos, or art.
Know Your Community’s Medical Equipment and Medication Policies
Each community will have its own unique policies about what it allows to be brought into memory care. Some communities require that medications and medical equipment be left behind at home, while others will allow these items to be brought in so long as they are tracked by staff. It’s best to find out exactly what your community’s policy is before bringing any medication or medical equipment along with you.
